“Now, 12 years later, I am poised to take the next step, a trial to prevent poor pregnancies in patients we know to be at very high risk. We propose to administer drugs that inhibit the inflammatory pathways we characterized in mice. It is still a dream that I will work to fund and to implement.
“Just as PROMISSE has proved life changing for patients, it has been life changing for me. I had the privilege of assembling and working with an astounding multidisciplinary team, a cohesive, collaborative group. Jill Buyon has been my partner in this endeavor for all 11 years. She shared her knowledge from the SELENA trial and heart block registry. Her passion for lupus patients is unmatched. Mimi Kim, our statistician and methodologist, maintained the rigor of PROMISSE. Ware Branch was the voice of obstetrics in a sea of rheumatologists; he actually delivered PROMISSE babies. Mike Lockshin, Lisa Sammaritano, Michelle Petri, Joan Merrill, Eliza Chakravarty and Carl Laskin enrolled patients and made sure they were seen every month. And the heart of the study, Marta Guerra, is the project manager, without whom there would be no PROMISSE.
“My career has been deeply influenced by many people. The community of lupus clinicians and investigators embraced and nurtured me. Charles Christian, who somehow thought I had promise as a scientist, and Bob Kimberly, in whose lab I conducted my first experiments, were important early scientific mentors. From Mike Lockshin I learned about the complexity of lupus. He was my guidepost as I embarked upon studies in APS and pregnancy. From her perch in California, 3,000 miles away, Bevra Hahn inspired and encouraged me. Mike Holers taught me about complement. Ellen Ginzler, John Reveille and Chela Alarcon shared patient samples for our first genetic studies and taught me that large collaborative teams were necessary and possible. And with John Harley we confirmed the association of FcRs variants with SLE.
“I want to thank Peggy Crow, with whom I have worked since fellowship, for inspiring me with her generosity to our community, for her leadership, wisdom and dedication to the scientific mission. She is a role model we would do well to emulate.
“I am grateful to the ACR, where I was schooled in leadership and where I met physician-scientists and clinicians who continue to inspire and collaborate with me.
“And every day, I thank lupus patients and the stakeholder organizations (Lupus Foundation of America, Alliance for Lupus Research and Lupus Research Institute) for being our partners—participating in studies, fundraising for research and advocating for SLE to our government officials.
